Speaker Devraj Ghimire proceeded with the House’s scheduled business on Monday despite continued obstruction by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). The two parties are demanding the resignation of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak over the visit visa scandal. The CPN (Maoist Centre), which had earlier led the protest, ended its obstruction on Friday after a two-point deal with the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML. This decision drew heavy criticism from other opposition forces.
Speaker Ghimire held talks with RSP and RPP leaders ahead of the session on Sunday and on Friday, but they yielded no breakthrough. RSP and RPP have rejected the Maoist Centre’s agreement as a betrayal and are demanding Lekhak’s resignation and the formation of an independent parliamentary or judicial inquiry panel.
As the Speaker advanced the session, RSP lawmakers chanted slogans, while the RPP boycotted. “We will continue our protest until a probe panel is formed,” said RPP chief whip Gyanendra Bahadur Shahi. Following the Maoist Centre’s decision, the Unified Socialist Party also ended its obstruction. On Sunday, with RPP absent, RSP staged a lone protest, appearing weakened but resolute. “We will continue to raise this issue—even if we are alone,” said RSP lawmaker Shishir Khanal.
Congress chief whip Shyam Kumar Ghimire dismissed RSP’s moral crusade, questioning the ethics of a party still led, according to the Election Commission, by Rabi Lamichhane, who faces a cooperative fund misuse probe.
People's Review News Monitoring Service